A 4-D journey of light and sound at Peabody Essex Museum

SALEM - We can’t walk on water, but we can feel as if we are. That’s the unusual sensation visitors experience in an exhibit of projected light installations that respond to human motion.

In “XYZT: A Journey in 4 Dimensions” at the Peabody Essex Museum, visitors enter a dark gallery and interact with nature-inspired digital settings created by the digital performing arts company Adrien M & Claire B of France. The sense of being in nature is enhanced by the sounds of wind, water and insects.

At the exhibit entrance, the introduction eases visitors into the new realm: “XYZT is an imaginary territory where geometry and nature coincide. You are invited to complete the art as you probe the four dimensions.”

When people move across a black floor with white horizontal lines in the installation “Walk,” the surface changes with each step, seeming to ripple and swell like water. It’s startling at first, and then, fascinating and fun.

The exhibit title refers to the movement of points in space – horizontal (X), vertical (Y), depth (Z) and time (T). At each of the 10 installations, a kiosk explains the variety of scientific principles and algorithms at work. In some cases, videos show the artistic possibilities as dancers move through spaces of light.

Describing their work as “a journey through nature revisited,” the creators – graphic designer Claire Bardainne and artist, juggler and computer scientist Adrien Mondot – write, “We want our images to be danced on, played with and to react to the body. We want you to forget that these are images.”

The creators pose a number of questions: “Can a group move without a guide? Can you touch an algorithm? Can blowing make light move?”

In “Shifting Clouds,” light projected onto a floor-to-ceiling mesh screen creates a swarm that swirls and billows, changing shape in response to people moving their arms, legs and torsos. On the floor, the images are reflected like clouds on a lake. The synchronized movement is also reminiscent of schools of fish or flocks of flying starlings.

In one of the most intriguing installations, a willowy tree grows from the ground up, in accelerated time, and then sheds letters that float like falling leaves.

In the floor installation “Field of Vectors,” people walk through what appears to be a field of grain or a tall grass meadow, where the strands bend and sway.

“Kinetic Sand” beckons visitors to play in a large sand tray, where every finger move shapes the sand.

Just as visitors grow accustomed to these new experiences, they have a second surprise when they enter the exhibit’s second room. There, patterns appear on four outer walls and four walls of an inner cube. Dots appear like stars and change into geometric patterns, and soft bells and hums can be heard. Seated on the upholstered benches, visitors can relax in an aura of contemplation and peace.